The Chaos of Change by J T Riggen is a political thriller set, perhaps not too very far in the future. The citizens of the United States have had enough of the Federal Government. They no longer believe that the Federal Government is working for their best interests. The country has effectively split into four factions; the Northern Alliance, made up predominately of states on the north eastern seaboard of the US; The Southern Alliance, which tends to follow the makeup of the Civil War confederacy; the Western Alliance, mainly California; and finally a small group of Federal Government people, led by CIA Director Shane Ripley, who are determined to bring normalcy back to the United States. Ripley and his team, recruit Thaddeus Jackson, the estranged son of a former President (now the leader of the Southern Alliance) to try to be the diplomat that stops all out Civil-War from developing.

In The Chaos of Change, J T Riggen has brought to life a scenario that seems frighteningly familiar to those watching current events unfold in the US. The cultural schisms we currently see occurring in US society may indeed lead to the type of scenario outlined in this story. This is a fast-moving, action-filled novel of politics and war that is easy to read and identify with. It is worth noting, for potential readers, that this novel is merely the first of what is no doubt planned to be a series on this subject. As such, the ending does leave the reader (a) wanting more and (b) waiting for the second book in the series. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all, but readers should be aware. The characters in this book are as interesting, as they are diverse as are some of the technologies the author has come up with, to give the story some future aspect. I enjoyed the read and, if only for the parallels to today’s America, I would definitely recommend it to lovers of political thriller and intrigue.

A fun, frolic down fantasy lane is the best way I think I could possibly describe The Royal Treatment, by Melanie Summers. This is an out an out funny, chick-lit, with no pretensions of being anything else. Tessa Sharpe, a twenty-eight-year-old, former journalist has adopted the role of Royal Watchdog for the Kingdom of Avonia. Her blogs on the Royal Family and their excesses are grist to the mill of the group of Avonian citizens who consider the Royals to be an outdated and unnecessary institution in the Twenty-First Century. Facing a potential referendum to strip the Royals of their powers, Crown Prince Arthur invites Tessa to spend two months at the Palace, to live with the Royals and to see what it is they really do to help the people of Avonia. What follows is a hilarious romp filled with palace intrigue and of course the never-ending question (will they do it!).

I read so many books over the years that focus on the very worst of the human condition, so it is wonderful, from time to time, to come across a story so frivolous and so much fun as The Royal Treatment. There are few books that can make me chuckle, let alone belly laugh and yet Summers managed to draw that out of me in this fun tale. It is genuinely funny and yet still has something important to say, on a higher level. Obviously Avonia is a mythical kingdom, but the comparisons can well be made to other European countries still supporting a monarchy, even if that monarchy is merely ceremonial. Many of the issues faced by the Avonian monarchy and indeed the perception of that monarchy to the citizens can draw a direct parallel to other monarcies, such as the British. Look, I really enjoyed this book and congratulate Summers on a fine effort. The Royal Treatment is a wonderful distraction from a world where there is much too much angst and seriousness. ​

You can check out all of Melanie Summers' portfolio here on Amazon: amzn.to/2gKzLfS

Coffee Shop University by Mario Kfoury takes us on an almost 10,000 year journey through the history of man's attempt to understand the Universe and his place in it. Through the life of the author, originally hailing from Beirut and now living in California, we examine and briefly look at all of the great philosophies of humankind, from the teaching of Buddha, Confucious, Lau Tsu, right through the history of man, up to today's new understanding being uncovered in the area of quantum physics. The author also casts a scathing eye across the bastardisation of good teachings at the hands of organised religion. The ultimate conclusion appears to be that life is a never ending search for knowledge and social justice. Our lives and the future direction of humanity is in our own hands. We, as individuals can and should make a difference to our world.

As a starting point for examining the purpose of our life, Coffee Shop University is a useful tool. The author, Kfoury has clearly done his research well and I suspect there are very few philosophies or religions he has failed to cover in this book. The size of the book has meant that many important and interesting theories are given no more than a passing mention. As I said, if you are looking for something that lays out the full gamut of man's spiritual journey on this earth to allow you to find something of interest to further read about, then this would be a great book for that purpose. I did find Coffee Shop University an enjoyable read for two reasons; the author has similar beliefs to my own with respect to man's point in being and secondly because of the breadth of history he managed to cover, albeit it just touching the surface. A good, solid introduction to philosophy and worth the read.

A bittersweet wander down memory lane is what awaits readers of Butterfly Wish by D Davidson and R Marcano. Fifty years ago, two tough young men from New York were stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Although the conflict was long over, the experience of living in a country where life was valued so little and almost anything was available, for the right price, would teach them much about life and even love amongst the B Girls of the hovel of a village that lined the Air Force Base. Both men experienced the comaraderie of belonging to a Unit but also the guilt and loss of living somewhere where they were neither wanted nor liked, except for their money. As seventy-year olds, Manny and Shane return seeking forgiveness, redemption or perhaps even some sort of reconciliation with those they had left behind.

I found this story to be very touching in places, but equally harsh and somewhat scathing of the attitude of US troops who were stationed in South Korea and one could imagine, by extension, to those who served later in Vietnam or were stationed in Japan, the Philippines or other Asian countries. The attitude of the US forces to the locals was incredibly stereotypical and most seemed unable to see beyond the thoughts of getting drunk and getting laid. Both Manny and Shane were good men at heart, but even they fell prey, at times, to treating the local women with disdain. One thing became clear, however, their brief experience in Korea would shape these two men's future. I enjoyed the writing and the frank retelling of events as they actually were without any attempts to gloss over or try to justify the horrors faced by the civilian population. It was hard hitting and yet deeply touching at times. In Butterfly Wish, Davidson and Mercano have brought alive something which very few of us would ever experience. An excellent job by the authors and a fascinating story.

​As anyone who follows my reviews will be well aware, I am an enormous fan of Ellie Midwood and her books. Her historical fiction based on the events of the Second World War is always interesting, well-researched and frequently looks at the conflict with a fresh set of eyes. I've loved all her books to date and when the latest one became available, The Lyon Affair, I was quick to grab it and read it even before it came to the market. This is the second book in a series that focuses on the French Resistance, and their efforts to disrupt German activities and the Vichy Government's collaboration with the Nazis. The first in the series, The Indigo Rebels introduced us to a wonderful set of characters, including author Giselle Legrand, her brother, and Communist sympathisers. All of them, from different walks of life and with contrasting philosophies are united in one cause - to rid La Belle France of the tyrannical Nazi jackboot. France has signed an Armistice, with the Germans and is split into two zones - The Occupied Zone and the Free Zone. The resistance is just getting itself organised and is determined to do whatever they can to slow the German war effort and to ultimately rid their beloved homeland of the invaders. There is a traitor lurking within the resistance cell, though, and decisions, courage, and sacrifice are required to keep alive the belief of a liberated France. As always, Midwood has delivered, big-time with this story. Her characters are real and very easy for the reader to identify with. The action is frenetic and exciting. As with all great stories, Midwood manages to inject moral and social dilemmas into her prose, that makes the reader stop and think. This period of history is clearly very relevant and personal to the author. She identifies so well with the characters and their time that we truly are transported to 1941 Paris, Dijon and Lyon as the characters attempt to thwart the German domination. Another absolute winner from a truly talented and prolific, young author. I look forward to many more stories from what is also one of my favorite periods of history to read about. No question about the number of stars for The Lyon Affair - it is five stars all the way.

Please do pop on over to Amazon and check out Ellie Midwood's fantastic portfolio of novels. They are awesome.

​Serious Chick-Lit meets G.I. Joe is what you get in Adrenaline Secrets by Carolyn Reilly. GovCorp has for years been creating genetically modified humans, in an effort to create the perfect soldier, but when it all went wrong, they had to free the genetically modified soldiers into the world and allow them to live with the “naturals”. The tension between these modified humans and the naturals, is high, especially when it appears some of the “Giffs” as they are called may be turning rogue. Jake Hanson is one of these Giffs, but he is a man on a mission, determined to find out more about himself and his origins. Kendra Reed is a spy in GovCorp and has her own reasons for wanting to bring the Corporation to its knees and find out what really happened to her family. When Jake and Kendra are thrown together on a mission, the attraction is instant and undeniable. Can they resist their need for each other and can a genetically modified human, designed to have no empathy, ever actually love a natural?

The author Carolyn Reilly has beautifully captured the dilemma we as humans face whenever we are confronted by people who are in some way different from us. The tension between the Giffs and the Naturals, especially as expressed by the ultra-religious Front, can easily be seen as a metaphor for the underlying tensions that exist today, both between races and cultures. I particularly enjoyed the way the author of Adrenaline Secrets developed the cast of characters that made up the Committee. Each contributed to the story in their own unique way and made for a fast, easy and very enjoyable read. This is an action-packed and fast-paced thriller, but it also has all the sweetness, romance and sexual tension of a top-flight Chick-Lit. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and have no hesitation in awarding this book and this author five well-earned stars. I flew through Adrenaline Secrets and found it impossible to put down. I know other readers will find this book a rewarding experience.

You can check out Adrenaline Secrets, here on Carolyn Reilly's Amazon page:

Taeowolf by Kris Moger is a world of fantasy straight from the author’s own imagination. Aiden Murphy is a young Wolvean attending University when he gets caught up in events beyond his understanding and control. The four main species of this world; Wolveans, Elveans, Hunaens and Feleals live together in a thin veneer of peace and civilisation, but dig just a little way down and all the hatred, prejudice and blind ignorance are just below the surface. Clan and species come first – far before unity as inhabitants of this world. A fifth species, the evil Dracons, were supposedly destroyed and wiped out as punishment for their evil, but one still survives. Myeselin dreams of a time when the Zentrin Guard, comprised of one member of each species, ruled and provided balance to the world. She wants to resurrect the Zentrin Guard and Aiden, as the final member of the Zentrin Guard is caught up in a race against time and against those who would stop this occurring, at all costs.

This is a wild and wonderful fantasy that introduces us to a variety of characters and species, each with their unique talents, but each with their equally obvious flaws and faults. I love the way Kris Moger drew her characters so clearly and gave them each qualities and indeed flaws that were readily identifiable to any reader. Aiden was a wonderful character as we watched him essentially embark on a journey of self-discovery. The author, through her characters, investigates and illuminates the most powerful of all emotions; love, friendship, betrayal, pain, prejudice, and universality. The author’s words are, at times, beautiful and poetic, but equally very descriptive and draw you into her fantastic tale. Aiden, as Taeowolf shows us how to go beyond the strictures of life and to be the best we can be, flaws and all. A wonderfully compelling tale that I enjoyed very much. I look forward to the next story in this series.

You can check out Kris Moger's full portfolio of novels here on Amazon:

Mona Lisa by Robyn Sheridan is just an out and out fun chick-lit story. Mona Lisa, a good Jersey girl from a strong Catholic Italian background has been jilted at the aisle by her high-school sweetheart and is feeling the intense pressure from her parents to get married and have children. Unable to face the whispers and pity of small-town Jersey any longer, Mona Lisa decides she needs to get away from the family she loves and adores but struggles to come to terms with and seek a new beginning in far-off Atlanta, Georgia. Between a father that still treats all his “girls” like they are still babies, a mother that wants to know everything she is up to and four sisters who just want to help Mona Lisa, she is feeling penned in and unable to cope. Perhaps a new start will allow her to finally meet someone worthy of her love and attention – “Mr. Right”.

I have no doubt I am not Robyn Sheridan’s defined demographic, with Mona Lisa, but I don’t care. I’m happy to proclaim I absolutely loved this story and the smart, sassy, humour that came with it. I particularly loved Mona Lisa, as a character, who came across as the typical, ballsy, brassy Jersey girl, but who deep down just wanted to be normal and in a relationship, like everyone else. The whole Catholic/Italian/Jewish vibe that permeated the book was a pleasure to read and just added to the enjoyment. Noni, Mon Lisa’s feisty and frank Grandmother was such an endearing character and it was clear Mona Lisa relied so heavily on her advice and guidance. Yes, the father and mother were a little like caricatures but nonetheless, I am sure the story would resonate with many women from that background. I loved this book and found it a fun diversion from everyday events. An excellent read that I can highly recommend. ​

You can check out Robyn Sheridan's Author page, including Mona Lisa, here on Amazon:

Nathan’s entire life he had dreamt of the possibility of time travel. For him, though, this was not some idle fantasy. Considered one of the top five scientific minds in the world, Nathan had the capability to make this happen, but not the resources. In Time Will Tale by, Nathan had been ostracised by the scientific community, after a drunken misadventure caught on video and was now working as a humble physics teacher in a local High School. When he is offered unlimited money and time, by an unknown benefactor to produce his dreamt of time machine, he is wary but ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to see his lifelong dream fulfilled. Thus begins a fascinating, at times harrowing journey through time to the period of the American Civil War.

Time Will Tale by, is a classic time travel story full of the usual conundrums and paradoxes that make time travel so fascinating for authors and readers alike. Nathan, the principal character is beautifully drawn by the author Barrett. Despite having a “beautiful mind”, Nathan has all the flaws, uncertainties and self-doubt of us mere mortals, which I found immensely reassuring. The story is clearly the first in a series based around the adventures of Nathan and as such sets a wonderful platform for what is undoubtedly yet to come. This is a fast-paced, exciting adventure through a very popular genre, yet it is softened and rounded by Nathan’s self-discovery in the past as he comes to grips with his unusual childhood as a child prodigy and for the first time in his life begins to understand the meaning of family and love. This is a very good debut novel by Barrett and I am keen to see what the rest of the series has to offer.

​As a fairly prolific reviewer who reads almost exclusively Indie Authors, a lot of books cross my Kindle over a year. I can honestly say that many of them are the equal or better of the Legacy Authors' books, but every so often a book appears (often out of the blue) that absolutely speaks, as a reader, beyond my mind and touches my heart and even my soul. 4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss, is such a book. Unexpectedly, it took me by storm and transported me to a different world, a world that resonated with things and emotions that were as strong to me and as important to me, as I'm sure they were to Twiss. Fourteen-year-old Aaron Greenburg receives what appears to be a life sentence when he contracts a rare form of meningitis that leaves him totally paralyzed and unable to communicate. The doctors and his parents are convinced that Aaron is a virtual vegetable, unable to interact in any way with the outside world. His parents have given up on Aaron and as he lays unable to move even a muscle, his mind is very much alive and very much active. To Aaron, his life has lost all meaning strapped to a hospital bed, unable to communicate and make the outside world understand that he is very much alive and his brain is still able to function. The intense loneliness and frustration this brings him causes him to create a mind-palace inside his head where he can retreat to whenever the loss of his freedom threatens to overwhelm him. In Aaron's mind palace he is able to move, to talk and to interact. It keeps him sane. Aaron's life changes forever when an elderly man suffering from the early stages of dementia is moved into his rest-home room to share with him. Soloman Felsher can hear Aaron's thoughts and suddenly Aaron is no longer alone. What follows is a fascinating and wonderful journey, in Aaron's mind palace, through the life of this amazing man, as he and Aaron undertake a tour of the twentieth century, as seen through the eyes of Solomon Felsher.This is a stunning tale, beautifully told by Twiss. As a reader, I was moved and deeply touched by the depth of the relationship that developed between this elderly man and his teenage friend. This story is chock full of good lessons for life on relationships, happiness, sadness, and many other emotions. Twiss has managed to tell a wonderful story and impart some great life lessons to his readers. What more can an author aspire to? I take my hat off to Johan Twiss and know that this book - 4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace is sure to be a strong contender for this year's third annual "Grunter" awards. This is a stunning story and a wonderful read that I cannot recommend enough. A great job, Mr. Twiss.

Do go and visit Johan Twiss' Amazon page and see his full portfolio. If the rest of his work is as good as 4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace, it will be well worth your while.

What would you do if you woke up one morning only to discover that everyone (or almost everyone) in the world had disappeared while you were sleeping? This is the dilemma faced by Magnolia (or Maggie, as she prefers to be called) in Bringing Magnolia Home, by Kitt Hill. When Maggie prepared herself for work that morning, she had no idea that today would change her entire life forever. It wasn’t until she was sitting at the bus stop and she met Grayson, that the reality of the situation began to dawn on her. Where was everyone? What had happened to the world whilst she was sleeping? So began an epic journey across country as Maggie and Grayson seek answers to what had befallen the world, as well as looking for other survivors. I mean, if two ordinary people like Maggie and Grayson had survived, surely there had to be other ordinary people, like them, who survived also?

Without giving any of the plot away, it is fair to say that Bringing Magnolia Home by Kitt Hill is not everything it initially seems to be. There is a hidden depth to this story that only reveals itself as the tale continues. I liked the character of Maggie. She represented, for me, the bulk of us ordinary people who live in their own little bubbles, taking little or no notice of who or what was happening around them. Until, that it, something momentous happens and suddenly they have to be more aware, more outgoing and more understanding of others. The cast of characters that surround Maggie in this story are, if not caricatures, very strongly drawn to represent the different factions in society. We have the lesbians, the black doctor and the racist redneck, showing us both sides of the human character. I found Bringing Magnolia Home, a good solid read, with an interesting twist.

Addiction and Pestilence by Edmund Kelly is a no-holds-barred look at a Dystopian world where a pandemic has taken the world by storm. In short order, millions, maybe even billions of people in the United States and around the world have fallen victim to the virus which kills, not only quickly, but violently and disgustingly. The author pulls no punches in describing the death scenes in this novel and anyone with a squeamish mind may find it overpowering at times. Kelly’s words, do however, beautifully convey the desperation and horror of the situation of those facing this unknown virus.

This isn’t just a story about a dystopian world, though, and that is probably what lifts this book out of the quagmire of its competition and sets it apart from other dystopian novels. There is a real thread of reality that runs through this story – that of addiction. Many of the characters have some form of addiction they have been struggling against, whether it be; alcohol, drugs, sex or whatever. As the tale unfolds they are forced to face what they have become and what they will require to do to fit into this brave, new, world, once the illness has run its course. The story is very character heavy, with many arcs, covering differing situations, yet all linked by the pandemic and by their addictions.

The main two characters are Drew, an alcoholic, whose wife and daughter had left him just prior to the pandemic taking hold. Drew had travelled to Florida to visit his dying Mother as the virus struck and is desperate to get back home to Boston and try to win back his family and Steve a recovering heroin Addict who has found God and wants to help Drew to find his way out of the labyrinth of hell he has descended into. Throw in a good mixture of other well-drawn characters and you have an exciting, fast-paced story full of twists and turns.​Addiction and Pestilence is the first in a series of stories and I think it is probably the greatest compliment I can pay author, Edmund Kelly, to say that I am inspired and desirous of reading the next instalment to discover what happens next to Drew and Steve on their epic road (and rail) journey back to Boston and back to what is left of civilisation. An excellent read from and author I’d not discovered before. A full five-stars for this story.

You can check out Addiction and Pestilence on Edmund Kelly's Amazon page here:

Magic has almost disappeared from our world due to the influence of first the industrial revolution and then the technological revolution, but unknown to most of us mere mortals, magic creatures; werewolves, shifters, vampires, witches, and Fae, still live amongst us. Eleanor Morgan is a Fae Princess whose task it is to open the gates and allow magic back into our world to try and restore the balance to earth, destroyed by humanity’s relentless drive for power and technology. Assisted by her mate, a werewolf called Isaac, a witch called Florence and a rather gorgeous, ancient vampire by the name of Raj, Eleanor must fight off those determined to stop her opening the magic portals. In the Waning Moon by Amy Cissell, Eleanor will attempt to open two more of these portals. As each gate to the magic world is opened, more and more of man’s technology will die, leaving humanity struggling for survival in a world without electricity, communication and the comforts of the modern day world.

I’m not a regular reader of fantasy, werewolves, and magic, but Amy Cissell’s The Waning Moon certainly captured my attention. I found the humour and gentle sarcasm of the characters right up my alley. By writing this in the first person, through Eleanor’s eyes, the author has given us entry into her mind, her thinking and her turmoil with the task she is entrusted with. I found this totally refreshing and exciting. For me, the best character had to be the thousand-year-old vampire Raj. His constant innuendo and double-entendre kept Eleanor on her toes and me, as a reader, totally engaged with the story. The Waning Moon is the second in the Eleanor Morgan series and I think I can pay Cissell no greater compliment than to say reading this book inspires me to read the first book in the series and to continue with the entire series, as it is completed. This is a winner and one of the best in its genre, I’ve read of late.

Be sure to check out Amy Cissell's first two books in the Eleanor Morgan series, here on Amazon.

The Last Hope by The Black Rose is Book Four of The Killing Game Series. When I picked up The Last Hope, I assumed it would be a continuation of Book Three, The Lost Days, of Ives Andrich’s search for his kidnapped wife Allina. This is not the case at all. The Black Rose has used a unique and interesting technique in writing The Last Hope. Book Four of the series is a parallel and complementary story to that told in The Lost Days.

In The Last Hope, we see the story of Allina’s kidnapping from her perspective. Allina, a successful author and wife of publishing magnate and Chief of Investigations at the FBI, Ives Andrich, is saved from certain death, at the hands of a madman, by members of the elusive and powerful Neo-Nazi organisation the NWDSO. Spirited out of the country, to Germany, Allina is to be held as a pawn in an attempt by the organisation to convince Ives Andrich to join their organisation and ultimately to head it up. The Last Hope details the painful and sorrowful realisation by Allina that although she is being held in the “lap of luxury” and no harm is intended to her, it is all meaningless without her beloved Ives. She waits for what she believes will be his inevitable rescue of her. She comes to regard her captors, if not with fondness, then at least with a begrudging respect for the manner in which they have looked after her in her “gilded cage”. Using the time she has, she completes the manuscript on her latest book and gives herself the opportunity to reflect on what is truly important in life – her faith in her God and that in her husband, Ives.

After the initial shock of discovering this was a companion edition to Book Three, rather than a continuation of the story, I found this idea to be absolutely enthralling. It was wonderful to be able to put the mindsets of the two main characters together and compare their perceptions of themselves and of each other. As I said, I haven’t come across this technique before and I did find it compelling. I loved the character of Allina and the depths of her grace and dignity even under extreme provocation and pressure. In both books, the recurring theme was faith and love. Both Ives’ and Allina’s unshakeable faith in their God and in each other was what connected them so perfectly. For me it was summed up when Allina was taunted that Ives had been killed in the explosion that had led to Allina’s kidnapping. She said; “I know he’s not dead, or my heart would have told me so” (paraphrased).​Read together, I can thoroughly recommend these two books, The Last Days and The Lost Hope. Both are intriguing thrillers, with plenty of twists and turns. I am now excited to read the next instalment of these two characters and see what fate has in store for them.

You can check out the Black Rose's full portfolio of The Killing Game Series here on Amazon:

​Sweet Temptation by Sarah Stuart continues the ongoing saga of the "Diamond Superstar", Michael Marsh, that readers have come to love over the years, through the first three books. Lizzie has been gone now for two years and Michael is looking again for love, companionship, and someone to stave off those awful nights when he cannot sleep alone. Evie Taylor was a private detective who worked for the firm Michael had used to find Lizzie's killer and he has fallen hopelessly in love with her. True romance never did run smoothly in this dysfunctional showbusiness family and this romance is no exception. Evie has a whole pile of skeletons in her closet as well and Michael will have to earn her trust and understanding, although Evie admits to having loved and adored the "Diamond Superstar" ever since she was a teenager. This is an interesting move for Stuart's story, away a little bit from the fascinating dynamics of the incestuous, dysfunctional Marsh family, the family heritage that descended from Margaret Tudor, James IV of Scotland's Queen and more toward a simple, straightforward relationship - rest assured, though, the familiar tensions within the family are still there. I enjoyed this story very much and it is a testament to Stuart's development as an author, over the four books, that you can see, as a reader, a subtlety and nuance to the character's interactions and relationships that have developed over the course of this series. An excellent book and the question remains - will there be a number five to this series. I do hope so. Good job Sarah Stuart!

You can check out the full Royal Command performance series, including Sweet Temptation, by Sarah Stuart, here on Amazon:

Ives Andrich is an exceptionally wealthy publisher and businessman who could well spend his time focusing on his business and his beautiful wife, Allina, but Ives’ has an even greater calling than that. He is also the second most powerful law-enforcement officer in the country and known throughout the FBI for his amazing tenacity and ability to catch the “bad guys” and put them out of business. In The Lost Days by The Black Rose (an interesting nom-de-plume, that!) Chief Andrich is torn between his duty and responsibility to his country, his God, and his family’s history of service to humanity that stretches back over a thousand years and that of his desire to protect his wife from those that seek to use her as a pawn, to get at him.

When Allina is apparently killed in an explosion that was meant to lure him also to his death, Ives is not convinced she is really gone. Although she fell into the infamous Narrows, in New York Harbour, her body was never found. Declared dead by his bosses at the FBI, Ives is not certain in his heart that Allina is truly gone. A surprise visit by a Neo-Nazi organisation called the NWDSO appears to confirm to Ives that indeed Allina is possibly being held as a hostage in some game being played by this powerful and wealthy group. One thing is for certain, if there is any chance of Allina being alive, Ives Andrich will fight to his very last breath to find her and to bring her home.

The Lost Days by The Black Rose is a taut, fast-moving and exciting thriller that grabs you early on and encourages you to keep turning the pages. As a reader, I particularly liked the dual nature of the character of Ives Andrich. On one side, we have this cold, almost calculating law-enforcement officer who has an amazing reputation for his analytical abilities to track down and capture some of the most wanted criminals in the world. On the other hand we meet a lonely, desperate man, who, having finally discovered the “love of his life – his soul-mate” is totally devastated by her loss and when the possibility that Allina may still be alive, arises, we see a side of Ives that makes us realise this man will give everything willingly, including his own life, to ensure her safety. Ives Andrich is a complex character beautifully fleshed out by this author.​The book ends with the main questions unanswered – where is Allina and can Ives rescue her from those who hold her hostage? Will Ives bend to the desires of the NWDSO and do their bidding, in exchange for Allina’s life? This serialisation of the story may or may not be a good thing, depending on the reader, but one thing is for sure, it does make this reviewer want to read the next episode in the adventure of this interesting and complex character.

You can check out the full portfolio of The Black Rose and the Killing Game Series, here on Amazon:

Depression is such a debilitating and yet such a misunderstood illness that it is fascinating to read a perspective on it, from a personal sufferer’s standpoint. Ben’oni L’Benyamin by Rabbi Sarah Berman is just such a view – from that of a sufferer, but with a unique and interesting twist. What Rabbi Berman has given the reader is not only an insight into the horror and helplessness of chronic depression, but she has also attempted to relate the symptoms and the effects of depression, to her own personal faith – that of the Jewish faith. The Rabbi takes us through the Jewish holidays, explaining their purpose and celebration for those of the faith and then ties this to her own personal battle with depression. Similarly, she looks at the relevance of certain, important passages in the Torah, to her illness.

As a Gentile, who only has a passing knowledge of the Jewish faith, I found Ben’oni L’Benyamin to be eye-opening, from a learning perspective about other faiths. That the author was able to so personally and intimately relate these passages and Jewish holidays, to her depression was equally fascinating to me. It is often easy to dismiss those with chronic depression and blame the sufferer, rather than address the problem. Rabbi Berman’s honest and frank appraisal of her illness allows us to look at the broader picture of mental health in general and how we, as a society, handle the mentally ill. Although much of her commentary related to the health care situation in the U.S. it seemed equally applicable to all of us, anywhere in the world. If you are of the Jewish faith, you will identify with this book very closely, but even if, like me, you are a Gentile, you can gain much from the experience of reading Ben’oni L’Benyamin by Rabbi Sarah Berman and I recommend you do. It will open your eyes to the plight of the mentally ill, as well as give you a fascinating insight into what it is to be Jewish.

You can check out Rabbi Sara Berman's Ben'oni L'benyamin, here on Amazon: